Pushing up from the floor, Asher dropped the used condom in the wastebasket by the nightstand. “Come on, sleepyhead. Shower, then you can sleep.”
The only response he received was the sound of Cameron’s soft snores.
Chapter Eighteen
“Our next guest needsno introduction. He’s been making headlines lately, but you know him as the author of the bestselling Marshall Kane Mystery series. Smart, witty, and very easy on the eyes, please welcome Asher Dare!”
The cheers and applause from the audience thundered through the set ofWake Up, Dallasas Asher was ushered out onto the stage. Smiling and waving, he did his damnedest to squash down any lingering nerves as he crossed to where Meredith Tripoli waited with her arms outstretched near a couple of cream-colored chairs. She greeted him with a friendly hug, which he had to practically bend himself in half to receive, and a chaste kiss to the cheek that made him chuckle.
Watching her show on television, he had never appreciated just how tiny she actually was. The top of her head barely reached the middle of his chest, despite the six inches of added height her silver stilettos gave her. A long-sleeved, fitted dress in her signature color of crimson molded to her diminutive frame, accentuating what few curves she had. The color itself was so bright and bold, Asher had a hard time looking at her directly.
Or maybe that was just her natural radiance.
“Asher Dare, everyone!” Still standing in the center of the stage, she held both hands out toward him like a gameshow model displaying the grand prize.
The audience erupted into another round of applause while Asher was directed into one of the half-moon chairs. Taking the seat opposite him, Meredith brushed her raven locks back from her face and crossed one slender leg over the other. Since he couldn’t hope to capture the same grace, Asher just leaned back against the stiff cushions and stretched his own legs out in front of him, the picture of ease.
“Asher, thank you for being here with us today.” Her gaze met his, her dark eyes intense and assessing.
“Thank you for having me.”
“Now, you know that your parents are backstage, and we’re going to bring them back out here in a minute. Right now, though, I want to talk about you.” She glanced out at the crowd with a coy smile, then back to Asher. “Let’s jump right into it, shall we?”
An appreciate murmur went through the audience at Asher’s nod.
“So, it recently came out that you are, in fact, gay. Can you talk a little about what that has been like?”
It was one of the questions Talon had anticipated, and therefore, one they had practiced in the conference room. At the time, Asher had thought the whole thing was ridiculous. He’d even argued that it would have beenbetter for his answers to be spontaneous rather than rehearsed. Now that he was there with hundreds of faces eagerly awaiting his answer, he was glad for the preparation.
“As you know, it wasn’t my choice to make that information public.” He wanted to be very clear about that. “I’m not ashamed that people know. I’ve never exactly hidden it.”
“But it was an invasion of privacy,” Meredith interjected with a sympathetic nod. “A violation.”
Asher bobbed his head. “Yes, that’s exactly it. It wasn’t my choice, and I wasn’t prepared for the chaos it caused.”
“Naturally, that must have felt pretty overwhelming.” There was genuine sincerity in her tone, but then again, that was her job. “You said it created a lot of chaos in your life? How have things changed for you since then?”
Asher shrugged. “I’ve always been a private person, so it’s uncomfortable seeing my face splashed across the covers of magazines and news articles. Otherwise, I guess it hasn’t really changed anything.” He let out a self-deprecating chuckle. “I mean, it didn’t change who I am. I’ve always been gay. Just, now, people know.”
“Well said,” Meredith praised as the audience clapped enthusiastically. “You could have ignored all the attention. You could have denied the rumors. Why did you make the decision to come out now?”
“Like I said, I’m not ashamed. Lying was never an option.” The audience applauded once again. Asher smiled. “Now that I have someone special in my life, I couldn’t do that. It wouldn’t be fair to him.”
Meredith’s eyes slid sideways to the front row of the audience as her lips curled up on one side. “You’re referring, of course, to Cameron Stone.”
He followed her gaze to where Cameron sat perched on the edge of his seat, and his smile stretched even wider. “Yes, that’s who I mean.”
“And he’s here with you today?”
She knew perfectly well he was, but Asher played along. “He is.” He inclined his head toward Cameron. “Say hello, sweetheart.”
Cameron blushed to the tips of his ears and down his neck into the collar of his white button-down when the cameras panned toward him. He looked like he wanted a hole to open up in his seat and swallow him, but he grinned tightly and lifted his hand to give a little wave to the crowd.
Quiet giggles and loud “awws” swept through the audience. If Cameron blushed any harder, he was going to have a stroke.
“Oh, goodness,” Meredith said, pretending to fan herself. “You two make a lovely couple.” Tilting her head back, she called a little louder, “Aren’t they just the sweetest?”
The reaction was immediate, and Asher ducked his head as the cheers and shouts in the studio reached deafening levels. It hadn’t escaped his notice that there were more men in the audience than usual, or that many of them didn’t seem to be there with wives or girlfriends.
